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Saturday, 27 August 2016

371) Indian Metal Crafts: A set of six stamps has been issued by the Department of Posts, India on 26.08.2016:

371)
Indian Metal Crafts: A set of six stamps has been issued by the Department of Posts, India on
26.08.2016:

About
Metal Crafts in India:

The art of metal
crafts/work has been known to India for over 6000 years.

The beautiful figurine of
the dancing girl from Mohenjo-Daro bears ample testimony to this fact and
indicates the high level of workmanship attained by the ancient Indian
craftsmen. Traditionally, Indian craftsmen have been using different metals
like iron, copper, silver and alloys like bronze, bell metal, white metal etc.
to produce items such as pots, pans, utensils, photo frames, sculptures of
deities, ash-trays, mythological figures , animals and numerous other artefacts
like decorative lamps, figures of soldiers & fighters in battle gear,
replete with drawn & sheathed swords/weapons, lamps etc.

The iron pillar in Mehrauli
(Delhi NCR), belonging to the Mauryan times is an enduring example of the heights
of excellence to which Indian craftsmen have reached several centuries ago.

The Chola craftsmen were
greatly skilled at making bronze sculptures.
Sculptures are usually made with the lost wax technique. This process
entails a creating wax model of the sculpture or other artefacts. This model is
ten covered with clay and holes are made into the clay. Next, molten metal is
poured through the hole at the top, causing wax to melt. The cavity created
within is automatically replaced by the hot metal. The metal is allowed to cool
off and the final product is freed from clay and polished.

In the area of metal
works, a variety of styles are seen in different parts of India. In the Ladakh
area of Kashmir, traditional vessels are made out of iron and brass. Many
richly engraved traditional household items like bowls, samovars, plates and
trays are also made in Kashmir.

In “Naqqashi” work (ornamental designs) elaborate floral and
calligraphic designs are imprinted on copper and silver items. These items are
then oxidised, which makes the design stand out.

Morababad (in the Indian State of Uttar
Pradesh) is particularly known for its brass-work items. A wide range of
house-hold items like pots, trays, bowls and ornamental pieces are made here
and are decorated with intricate etching.

In Varanasi (the ancient
city of Banaras) there is a proliferation of cast sculptures of deities and
house-hold utensils.

In the Indian State of
Rajasthan, there is a rich and ancient tradition of metal work. In Jaipur, for
example, which is the main centre for brass engraving and lacquering, beautiful
designed artwork sculptures and artefacts are available. The main items made
here are photo-frames, bowls, plates, boxes, & bronze sculptures etc. At
Alwar, the art of Koftagiri or damascening work is practiced. In several other
Indian States like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu
traditional Metal Crafts are made which are very popular all over the World.

More
about Metal Crafts of India:

Ornate metal boxes of Bundelkhand,
lamps of Sarguja, rice measuring bowls and animal figurines of Raigarh,
sculptures of Bastar are a few examples of the creativity of craftsmen
of Madhya Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh
has a rich tradition of metal craft. Sheet metal work using brass is done in Pembarti
– on plaques, containers, vases etc. From the village of Budhiti in
Srikakulam, come elegant utensils and items made of brass and other alloys.
Andhra Pradesh is also famous for its “Bidri”
ware.

The surface of the object
is then engraved in interesting designs to create grooves. These grooves are
then inlaid with silver and then polished. Finally the object is oxidised,
which makes the surface black and the silver inlay thus stands out, creating a
stunning contrast. Pots, “hookahs”, trays,
bowls etc. are created using this technique.

The “Dokra” Metal Craft is popular in the tribal belts of Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. The uniqueness of this craft form is that no two pieces are alike.

Small figurines of horses,
drummers, tribal deities and plaques are made here. These items are mainly made
from brass scrap. Unlike any other Metal Craft, the core of the objects is
filled with strips of silver, looped and in zigzag patterns. These strips are
deftly soldered together. The delicate “Jali”
(or trellis-like) design is achieved by using thin twisted silver wires.
Animals and birds dominate creative filigree work, which is also carried out to
create trays, cigarette cases, key chains and other decorative pieces.

Brassware from Tamil
Nadu comprises of traditional lamps used in religious functions, while the State
of Kerala is famous for its polished bronze mirrors.

About the six stamps comprised in this edition of Stamps issued by India Post:

This set of six stamps
portrays images of six different metal crafts, namely, a “Surahi” (which is made in Iron), a dancing “Nataraj” (made in Bronze), a “Pandan”
(made in Copper), an “Incense Burner” (made in Brass), a “Spouted Lota” (made in Silver), and a “Gajalakshmi Lamp” (made in Gold).

The Bronze image of “Nataraj” is an excellent example of
Chola period workmanship done with lost wax technique. The Brass “Incense
Burner” and the Gold “GajaLakshmi”
are also examples of the same workmanship. These were cast first and later on,
intricate carving and engraving work has been done to enhance the beauty of
these objects. The Gold Gajalakshmi Lamp in the Miniature sheet is a fine
example of Indian Metal Craft. A thin gold sheet is cut as per the design and
then placed over the same size of piece of Glass and Silver framing is done.

The “Iron Surahi” (“water vessel”) and the “Silver
Lota” are made using both the “casting”
and “beating” technique. Once the casting, engraving or chasing is done, then
filling of Gold, Brass or Enamel takes place to ornate the object. These are
known as Damascening, Enamelling, “Bidri”,
“Nillo” etc.

The Bidri “Pandan” base has been cast by using
Zinc, Copper, Tin, Lead and Zinc metals later on, once the casting of the objects
is done, then Silver Inlay is done. This piece is unique and a very rare
example, where the story of Padmavat, a 16th century text written by
Jayasi on the object.

All these are intricately
carved, cast and ornate metal artefacts which reflect the artistic and creative
skills of unknown artisans of India.

The
various combinations of the Stamps are as follows:

The Miniature sheet

The
above is an image of the Miniature sheet of stamps containing the six stamps
released on 26.08.2016 depicting – “an iron Surahi” (Pitcher) and “Nataraj”
(Lord Shiva – the “King among dancers”), both stamps of Rs.5/- or 500 paise each, “a copper Pandan (“container in which betel leaf preparing
ingredients are kept”), “a brass incense burner”, both stamps of Rs.15/- or
1500 paise each and “a silver spouted lota” (vessel) and “a Gajalakshmi Lamp”,
both stamps of Rs.25/- or 2500 paise each.

A First Day Cover (FDC) bearing a Miniature sheet of stamps cancelled at New Delhi GPO. The Cancellation date is "26.08.2016".

A First Day Cover (FDC) bearing a set of the six stamps cancelled at New Delhi GPO. The Cancellation date is "26.08.2016".

An Image of a Rs.5/- or 500 Paise stamp depicting a "Loha Surahi" (or an "Iron Surahi")

An Image of a Rs.5/- or 500 Paise stamp depicting a "Kansa Nataraj" (or a "Bronze Nataraj")

An image of a Gajalakshmi Lamp. It shows the goddess Lakshmi with two elephants (who are symbolic of prosperity and well-being) on either side of her. "Gaja" means "elephant" in Hindi/Devnagri

The Bronze Natraj - Full Sheet of Rs.5/- stamps

The above is an image of
the Indian Metal Craft Bronze – “Nataraj” (meaning the “Lord Shiva – the King
of the Dancers”) Full sheet of stamps containing 40 stamps in the denomination
of Rs.5/- each or 500 paise.

An Iron Surahi - Full Sheet of Rs.5/- stamps

The above is an image of
the Indian Metal Craft Bronze – “Iron Surahi” (meaning a “pitcher”) Full sheet
of stamps containing 40 stamps in the denomination of Rs.5/- each or 500 paise.

A Copper Pandan - Full Sheet of Rs.15/- stamps

The above is an image of
the Indian Metal Craft Bronze – “Copper Pandan” (meaning a “container in which
betel leaf preparing ingredients are kept”) Full sheet of stamps containing 40
stamps in the denomination of Rs.15/- each or 1500 paise.

A Brass Incense Burner- Full Sheet of Rs.15/- stamps

The above is an image of
the Indian Metal Craft Bronze – “Brass Incense Burner” Full sheet of stamps
containing 40 stamps in the denomination of Rs.15/- each or 1500 paise.

A Gold Gajalakshmi lamp- Full Sheet of Rs.25/- stamps

The above is an image of
the Indian Metal Craft Bronze – “Gold Gajalakshmi Lamp” Full sheet of stamps
containing 40 stamps in the denomination of Rs.25/- each or 2500 paise.

A silver spouted lota- Full Sheet of Rs.25/- stamps

The above is an image of
the Indian Metal Craft Bronze – “Silver spouted lota” (meaning a “vessel for
keeping water or liquids”) Full sheet of stamps containing 40 stamps in the denomination
of Rs.25/- each or 2500 paise.

The cover of the album containing blocks of four stamps each of the six stamp issues

The above is an image of
the cover of the album containing blocks of four stamps each on the six Indian
Metal Craft stamps (i.e. 6 x 4 = 24 stamps) released on 26.08.2016.

This album contains
full-sheets of all the six stamps (i.e. 40 x 6 = 240/- stamps of various
denominations)

About Me

I am Rajeev Prasad, a retired State Bank of India officer who had been collecting coins in a shoe box without having a serious interest. Only after quitting my job I got the time to take serious interest in developing my coin collection into a hobby. A pity, because I would have had more opportunity to lay my hands on more 'exclusive coins' while in the Bank. Anyway, as they say,better late than never. If you have any views to share with me regarding this blog , please contact me on my email rajeevprasad1208@gmail.com. I also have a twitter account @prasad_rajeev.
I had an opportunity to participate in a Documentary on the life and times of the 25 paise coin titled “Chal Basi Chavanni” (The four anna/twenty five paise coin passes away), aired by STAR NEWS on 29th and 30th June 2011. The programme helped in making many persons hold back onto their “chavannis”, the little round beauties, instead of returning them to Banks .